Journalists write "knowingly" on the situation in Israel without ever living here; without first hand knowledge of what it means to live in this tiny country in the midst of a rather unfriendly neighbourhood.
I write without vengeance, without hatred, just what I experience,the view from my veranda and the thoughts in my head.
My archive is available at www.lingomatics.com/Shabbatshalom/index.html

About Me

I am a freelance journalist living in Jerusalem. I strive to tell the truth as it is never seen in the media - the life of one Israeli trying to get along with everyone but not willing to deny her past nor her identity.

Friday, 7 October 2016

161007 Hurricane Matthew,Prince Charles, Shiloh, Yom Kippur

161006

5th
October 2016

Shabbat
Shalom dear Friends – did you know that today is International Smile Day?

I am
sure that the people of the Caribbean Islands, Georgia and Florida are not
smiling as yet another storm hits. Who said that it is paradise on earth in the
Bahamas – right now it is closer to purgatory with many dead. We all have our
challenges to face but this is dreadful. Haiti is, yet again, a victim of the
worst of the Hurricane Matthew; partly because the housing is so poor
and partly because their government and unending poverty has left them
unprepared. One thing I do know is that the incredible people of IsraAid stayed
on to help rebuild and give psychological and educational aid to the people of
Haiti since the devastating earthquake. IsraAid is already on the ground. http://www.israaid.co.il/projects/haiti

This
has been a week of late news – late because it is all after the fact!
Prince Charles, as I told you, went to visit his grandmothers grave on the
Mount of Olives. It was not an official visit (indeed his attendance at the
funeral of Shimon Peres was private not official) it was respect for his
exceptional paternal grandmother, Princess Alice of Greece who is buried beside
her mother in Gethsemane, the Church and Convent of Maria Magdalena, a Holy
Christian site and nothing to do with anybody's peace process. The media
decided his visit was kept a secret, that he went over the green line………. Indeed,
after the fact the media in general is making a real mish mash out of a private
tribute. I am still delighted by his regal kippa! http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/righteous/stories/princess_alice.asp

If
you heard that Israel attacked Gaza this week – we did. Actually not Gaza per
se and we didn't attack but apart from that the reports are accurate. Israel
responded to 2 rocket attacks on Sderot by searching and responding to the
rocket sites. Sadly, while returning from the response Major Ohad Cohen-Nov
z"l died after ejecting from his F16 fighter jet. May his soul rest in
peace.

The
American administration is angry that there is new building in Shiloh, (Yehudah
and Shomron). What they don't tell you is that Shiloh is one of the "large
areas of Jewish habitation", is in the Binyamina region and the houses are
being built for those Jews evicted from the illegal, hilltop settlement of
Amona by Supreme Court injunction. To suggest that the so-called peace talks
are failing because of a few houses is ludicrous. It is failing because instead
of attacking the crux of the problem the USA. Europe, UN and so many other
bodies have failed to understand that one side, the one they see as
belligerent, has done everything in her power to make peace and the other, the
one they see as the victim, has not honoured any of its commitments, starting
with their school curriculum. Go to the Impact-SE website http://www.impact-se.org/ and understand that from birth Palestinian
(indeed all Arab countries) schools teach hatred of Israel and of Jews and
Christians. All the above organisations and countries need to start there.

A
group of women decided to take a small boat from the southern tip of Europe and
head for "war stricken and blockaded" Gaza. They were taken into
custody by the Israeli Coast Guard, which included predominantly women soldiers.
Trouble is that before they left they made videos saying that if the videos are
seen by the world that means they were captured by the "Occupying Israeli
Forces"! Oh come on! If these women, including a few Israelis and a Nobel
Prize winner, really cared about Human Rights, surely there are many places in
our region where the very existence of women deserves their attention? Do they recognize
that the only entry for aid and goods to Gaza come through Israel's Kerem
Shalom Crossing? Do they know that Egypt closed off Gaza entirely? No of course
not.

Rosh
Hashana is behind us and Yom Kippur before us. The ten intervening
days ) are days of introspection, atonement – Selichot ( asking forgiveness)
North African Jews perform the rite of Selichot for 40 days. It is a time to
rethink our manner and way of life – hopefully finding reason to change and the
strength to do so. The tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei; 10 days after
the creation of man in the form of Adam; 10 days of repentance until the
ultimate repentance, Yom Kippur. Why? Why should we repent if we didn't do
anything bad? We are asked to repent the sins of humankind, the unintentional
sins including those when we said "Gosh did you hear about ****, they say
he did so and so" Admit it, we all do it!

If we
are talking about repeating lies which have no foundation in truth perhaps the
biggest lie, so prevalent and fashionable at the moment is that of
anti-semitism and anti-Israel cant. Perhaps it is worth listening to Rabbi
Jonathan Sacks theory as to what are the foundations of anti-semitism "The
Mutating Virus" https://youtu.be/uwN1WuDwIf0

We had
family to us for first day Rosh Hashana lunch, then a group of diverse friends
came for second day. It was wonderful, totally spontaneous and the food was
basically ready for the 14 of us. Canon Andrew White came with Hano, Ilan and
Cilla Horowitz, Leah and Yehuda Ressler, Rina and Yechiel HalOr, Dvorit and
Meishi Schreiber and Prof Gabby Barkay and Ester. The conversations ran thick
and fast because all had heard of each other but none knew each other! Andrew
gave us a short insight into life in Baghdad for the last Jews and Rina and
Cilla discovered they had a common close friend!

The
vast quantities of food consumed over the past weeks will simply increase with
a 25 hour hiatus over Yom Kippur. Since I have a vast number of guests over
Succot I need to precook otherwise it becomes just too much. Yesterday, Zvi
went to stay at his son Leors home to babysit the girls because Shiri, Leors
wife, gave him a birthday treat and they had a beautiful night in a fancy hotel
including dinner. What a great idea and it gave me time to cook!!! I made
Potato Kugel, stuffed mini veggies (with rice and herbs) which I layered into a
tall container, cooked and then when the time comes I will heat and turn out
onto a platter, layer upon layer of tiny green courgettes, baby sweet peppers
of bright red orange and yellow, onions carefully peeled off and rolled,
cabbage leaves……….. I hope the plan works out!! I baked lemon cakes and fruit
cakes and right now I have to go and make that most British-Jewish of dishes
"Fried Gefilte" Mmmm delicious!!

Some
people have already built their Succahs/Tabernacles. I wonder if someone will
complain to the UN that there is a great deal of illegal building in Israel
this week – perhaps the judgement is that the buildings must come down within
eight days of usage!!!! Succah may be a simple job, special fabric that one
wraps around poles on the balconies or it may be a more solid Succah made of
sections of light wood – one thing all have in common is the "Schach"
or roofing. In the UK we used any greenery that we could legally clip, but in
Israel the acceptable Schach is Palm
leaves, huge fronds which cover even the largest of Succahs. In the religious
communities most buildings forego their parking area for a communal succah,
rather than each home building separately, but in general those families with
children build their own.

I must
go and fry my fried gefilte fish, it really is delicious I promise. I already
collected Yosef from school, hugged the girls and drove back home over the
height of Har Shmuel – past Nebe Samuel (Samuels Tomb) past the panorama of
Jerusalems hills back home to the best view of all – the view from our veranda.
The stores are closing now, the last frantic shopping to replace the goods used
in cooking for Rosh Hashana replaced, the aromas rising from busy kitchens whch
means it is time to find some beautiful songs.

First
and foremost I want to post something from The Boss, Bruce Springsteen who has
decided that it is high time he came to perform is Israel. If Springsteen is
looking for the Human Touch – I promise he will find it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85cNRQo1m3A

I am
still deeply moved by David D'Or singing Avinu Malkeinu at the funeral of
Shimon Peres z"l at the special request of Shimon Peres z"l. We say
this prayer on both Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur – here it is with translation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7IMU40EjLc

If
at any time I have hurt you, though without ill intent, I beg your forgiveness
and assure you I will do better in the coming year.

With
love from Jerusalem, the most beautiful city in the world which will come to a
total halt as the Rabbis prepare to sing Kol Nidrei and nary a vehicle will
move until Ne'ilah (the closing) is ended. Nothing moves except emergency
vehicles, Israel wears white and walks, families together, talking and
conversing in a way they forget during the year as cellphones remain on bedside
tables.

Shana
Tova to everyone, whatever their origin, whatever their creed, colour or
leaning. May we all learn to respect and show tolerance to the
"other" whomsoever they may be